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News: Union Minister for Science and Technology inaugurated the BIRAC-BioNEST Incubation Centre at “Central Food Technology & Research Institute” (CFTRI).
About BioNEST
- BioNEST (Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies) is a dedicated scheme to create globally competent bio-incubation facilities across the country.
- Launched by: It was launched by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
- Aim: It aims to provide a viable mechanism for licensing new technologies to upcoming biotech or pharma companies, start new local ventures and achieve early-stage value enhancement of the technology with minimum financial inputs.
- Mandate: BioNEST bioincubators are mandated to provide incubation space to entrepreneurs and Startups along with shared access to high-end infrastructure, specialised and advanced equipment, business mentorship, IP, legal and regulatory guidance, and networking opportunities.
- Eligibility: It provides support to establish bio-incubators either as a standalone entity or as a part of academia.
- Status of development: Through Bio-NEST, BIRAC has upported 73 bio-incubators, creating a cumulative area of 1045470 sq. ft. for budding entrepreneurs.
- As of March 2026, the BioNEST facility has supported 26 startups, including physical and hybrid incubates as well as graduated ventures.
About BIRAC-BioNEST Incubation Centre
- Launched at: The BIRAC-BioNEST Incubation Centre has been inaugurated at the Central Food Technological Research Institute (CFTRI), Mysuru.
- It is a state-of-the-art facility aimed at strengthening the institute’s incubation ecosystem and bridging laboratory research with commercial applications.
- It has been designed with dedicated incubation suites and shared infrastructure to support food and biotechnology startups.
- The startups at the centre operate in emerging domains such as nutraceuticals, precision fermentation, probiotics and postbiotics, CRISPR-based technologies, and botanicals
- The centre focuses on boosting food startups by enabling advanced research, scale-up validation, and regulatory facilitation, thereby helping convert scientific ideas into market-ready solutions.
